UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 29, Page 10
April 27, 1995
TechTalk
Marketing class browses Web for extra credit

     Using the World Wide Web, students in Alex Brown's BUAD 301
marketing class are going on an electronic window-shopping spree.
     "I am offering my students two extra credit assignments that
involve browsing the Web," said Brown, business administration.
     In the first assignment, students access an electronic mall
located on the Web and report their experiences back to the class,
using the class electronic bulletin board (a UNIX newsgroup set up
especially for the class). One student even made a purchase during
this exercise. "By reporting the experience to the newsgroup, we can
all learn a little from each other's experiences," Brown said.
     The electronic window shopping introduces students to the latest
developments in retailing, Brown said.
     "I think this assigment gave me a better perspective on how
marketers are moving along with technology to target possible new
consumers," junior Blair Hickman said. "I feel net presence is
providing many people with greater access to advertising and
electronic catalogs of products they can shop or browse at their
leisure," Hickman added.
     "Although it took a couple of tries before I found a server that
didn't require me to enter a credit card number, I finally found a
mall that had, among other things, a Spiegel catalog complete with an
800 number for ordering," sophomore Michelle Wrightsman said. "While I
was browsing, I ran across advertisements for many products-the most
memorable was a full-color ad for the Plymouth Neon, including the
name and address of the closest dealers."
     In an upcoming assignment, Brown plans to emphasize the Web as a
promotional tool by asking his students to access one company's home
page and browse it for product information. They will then send e-mail
to Brown detailing what they learned about the advertised products.
Using this exercise, Brown hopes to demonstrate the interactive nature
of the Web to promote products.
     "I believe that the Web will affect the market in the next 10
years," sophomore Steve Chang said. He adds, "You can already buy a
car over the Web. Why would busy people need to go out to shop when
the Web is available?"
     "Some of the products Chang has seen seen on the Web include
books, cars, computers, flowers, groceries, office supplies, travel
information and sporting equipment.
     "With over 8,500 business entries listed on some Web indexes, and
with literally hundreds of companies coming online each month, it is
important for marketing students to experience for themselves what
kinds of things work well on the Web," Brown said.
                                                       -Amanda Bunkley